


Waves and Safety

by denna5



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Other Pairings Implied - Freeform, Threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-07 09:09:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15215867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denna5/pseuds/denna5
Summary: Natasha has been on the seas for years, the calm of the water and  Clint being the only things she needs but the time has come for the feel of land under their feet again. Bucky is about to be in charge of just the perfect place and so a plan of seduction is hatched but even the best laid plans can change.  A story  about changes and people coming together. An au with pirates.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here is my Winterhawk big bang fic, still currently working on it so it will be posted in chapters over the next couple weeks. Art will be posted soon and I will add the link when it is. Hope you enjoy it.

It is quiet right now or at least as quiet as it can get out on the sea. The moon is out and it and the stars give just enough light that Natasha can look out at the ocean. It is still one of her favorite sights, has been since she was young girl. There had been a sense of freedom  looking at it, like if she could get out on it, cross it, she could make her own choices, be her own person instead of just a tool. It wasn’t quite that simple but the sea did help her claim a place for herself, has provided her with a sense of freedom that she did not have once.  It has been her home for a long time now  but she needs something more now, needs land again now that she feels steady. It is something she has been thinking about, has talked to Clint about it, and they have started making plans. She takes  one more look at the ocean and makes her way down below to their chambers.

It had taken her a bit to get used to the swaying of the ship but is a comfort in a lot of ways, a comfort just like seeing the light of the lamp from the crack of the door.  There was a time when the captain’s chamber was her alone but it hasn’t been that way for years now and she smiles as she opens the door, sees Clint at the small table looking over maps and some letters they have got.  He is just in some pants right now, shoulders and chest bare and Natasha walks to him now, lets fingers trail over the exposed skin. He turns and looks at her, gives her a smile that is both warm and just a little teasing.

“Thought you were going to stare at the stars all night, leave me to my own devices.”

She smiles back at him as she sits down, takes one of the maps as well.

“I learned my lesson the last time I left you alone. I liked those sheets.”

“Hey, they were only a little burnt and these new ones are better anyway. “

He says this in defense of himself and Natasha just shakes her head and leans in for just a moment to brush a quick kiss against his lips. It is a tender gesture, a genuine gesture and it took her a long time to give these to him, to feel comfortable enough to let her guard down.  Clint had stayed with her even before she could give him this, stayed and didn’t push more than he had to, and it is part of the reason she is able to be soft with him.  She leans back again and glances down at the map, asks a question as she does.

“Did you see any weakness with this one, any reason that it wouldn’t be a good stronghold?”

She asks, trusts his eyes. He will need to see it up close but he will be able to see any major problems with can still see things on maps that others can’t. He shakes his head just a bit.

“No major weakness, would be a good stronghold but hard to take by force. I suppose you have other plans, especially now that Rogers is supposed to be leaving it soon?”

He asks and she gives a little nod.  The Howling castle and land is in a good spot, has strong protections, and is close enough to the sea that she could still return to her ship when needed and it has caught her eye. Steve Rogers is the family heir to it but a marriage is supposed to be taking him away from it and he is leaving it to his second, to James Barnes and it provides an opening.  

“Force isn’t the only way to take something and from what I have heard, Barnes is not spoken for, could be claimed. Will need to go there and see him first, see the castle first , to know just how to play it but seduction can be a useful tool.”

He looks at her, lips not quite in a frown but not in a smile either and then he speaks softly.

“Not sure if I want to watch you seduce someone , even if we both agree we want a permanent  place. “

She brings a hand to the back of his head now,  fingers tangling in his hair, a reassuring touch.  He doesn’t let jealousy get to him often and she is not entirely sure that this is jealousy. It could be worry, fear that she is thinking of herself as a weapon again, falling back into red room habits.  She isn’t, this is entirely her choice and she makes sure he is looking at her as she speaks.

“You have seen me seduce before, though those were mainly for fun.”

She gives a little smile now and he just shakes his head a bit but doesn’t deny what she is saying. They have had other bed partners  though the years, some that they have shared and so she doesn’t think he is bothered by the thought of another touching her and the little shrug and the words he speaks confirms this for her.

“Just don’t want you thinking you have to do that if you don’t really want to. Besides, most of the fun ones I was there with you.”

“I know there are other ways but this may be the easiest. You’re right, though. You were there for most of the others, maybe you should be there for this one as well. Barnes is supposed to be handsome though possibly dangerous. Has a metal hand, sure you could have fun with that.”

She teases just a bit and he blushes now but there is a smile upon his face now.

“Alright, if the situation looks like it needs seduction, I’ll help you seduce, if we see him and don’t want to, we find another way, promise?”

He asks and they both know that promises can be broken even with intentions  to keep them, they have been forced to break them before , but she still gives a nod, leans forward and speaks softly before placing a kiss against his lips.

“Promise.”

They stay at the table for a few minutes after that,  go over the maps and just talk but then they head to the bed.  They just lay together tonight, no touching that will lead to more but they do hold each other, find sleep after  a while.  There are no nightmares for either of them tonight and when the sun rises, Natasha is ready to start her plans, to find out what she can, and claim another home for her self.

^_^_^_^_^

It has been a while since they have stayed for a while on land and Clint is looking forward to it, even if it is mostly going to be scouting for information for a while. He had never really set out for a life on the sea, it just sort of happened like a lot of things in his life and he wouldn’t change it cause it brought him Natasha but he still misses the land sometimes, misses having something solid under his feet. If everything happens the way they are planning it to, they will have both, a home on land and a home on sea. For now, he gets ready to leave the ship as Natasha speaks to Maria for a bit.  Maria is the only one Natasha will trust with the ship besides maybe him  and their discussion is brief for the most part and soon enough they are leaving the ship, Natasha patting the railing of it as they leave.

“Maria will keep her in one piece.”

He says this as a reassurance and Natasha just gives a little nod, follows Clint onto the dock.  They have a bit of traveling to do and it isn’t too difficult to get what they need and head out. It is a long day and they don’t get a chance to see too much of the area that they are hoping to claim yet but it is a start. They settle down for the night in a tavern a village over and have a room to themselves and they look over maps and notes for a while after dinner like they did the night before and then they find themselves getting ready for bed.

“You know, might be hard to fall asleep without the swaying underneath, been a while since we have been on solid ground. Might need to tire ourselves out a bit more.”

He says this to her as he settles down on the bed, as she does the same on the other side. She looks at him  and gives that little half smile that he loves, the one that he never really sees her use with anyone else.

“I have some ideas.”

The half smile turns into a full smirk now and Clint loves that look as well, loves to kiss it so he does.  They kiss for a while, touch and shed clothes and he loves when she is bare before him, loves running his mouth and fingers over her skin. She is so damn beautiful, even her scars are beautiful and he kisses the scar on her shoulder where an arrow head dug in so long ago with a gentleness that he always uses with that particular mark.

“You always kiss it like you’re apologizing, you know you don’t have to.”

She says this now and he just gives a little shrug, places a kiss against her throat instead. They don’t talk a whole lot after that, get  caught up in the touching, in having each other and soon they are laying on the bed, a bit sore but satisfied and they settle together,  her head on his chest. He brushes a kiss against her hair, whispers words against it.

“Love you.”

He says it cause he needs to , cause he means it and she just places a soft kiss against his chest, doesn’t need to say it to him, can’t say it like he does but he has no doubt of her care for him.  They end up drifting asleep after a while.

He dreams of blue that night, of blood , of a cruel voice and harsh touch and he wakes shaking but not screaming .  Clint shifts a little too much when he wakes, jostles Natasha just a bit and she sleepily grabs his arms, makes him settle back into the bedding and holds him tight.

“Not letting you go, you know that.”  
She mutters it, voice not fully awake and he just gives a little nod even though she doesn’t see it, lets his own arms wrap around her and brushes another kiss against her hair. It takes him a little while to fall back asleep but he does and the blue doesn’t visit him again that night.

The next few days are spent gathering information, looking over the land near the  castle though they haven’t been inside yet and finding out what they can about those in charge of it. Steve Rogers owns it but he is getting married soon and will be leaving it to James Barnes, his second. Barnes is a childhood friend, fought with Rogers and then went missing for years, recently came back from some darkness and  Clint can admit to being a little intrigued by what he has heard though they have yet to actually see the man or meet him.   He should stand out, with apparently having a metal arm and all but there has been sight of him yet. Hopefully, they will see him soon, get a feel of him but right now, they are going to split for  a bit.

“I shouldn’t be gone for more than a week, probably less, just need to see what Sharon can tell me. She is part of the family Rogers is marrying into, I’m sure she knows a few things, might be willing to tell me.”

Nat says this as they share their meal in the morning and Clint gives a little nod as a small smirk covers his lips.

“We did have a good time last time we met. Planning on having fun without me?”

He asks, just a little teasing while Natasha just shrugs her shoulders. Their arrangement is pretty open for the most part, they share each other’s bed but don’t say no to others when they are interested.

“Maybe, don’t know yet. If you see someone you like, feel free to have fun as well. Don’t want you getting bored while I’m gone, that tends to lead to things getting burnt or shot.”

Her voice is teasing and he pretends to be outraged.

“That has only happened three maybe four times at the most.”

She arches a brow at him and he huffs just a bit.

“Fine, probably at least six but I’ll be good this time. Still might play darts or something though but I’ll keep them out of people’s legs.”

“See that you do, unless they really deserve it.”

She says this and he promises. They finish their meal , spends a little more time together and then Natasha heads out.  The next few days, Clint just sort of hangs around the tavern, picks up what information he can and he does start to get a little bored. He starts the darts the third night , just little tricks to start with but he does enough that he gets asked for a repeat performance the fourth night and then the fifth.  It is easy to perform and Clint doesn’t think it will get him into any trouble and so when a voice asks if he  can try to match someone shot for shot, he thinks nothing of saying yes, doesn’t realize what he is getting himself into.

^_^_^_^_^

It is not that Bucky hates his duties at the castle or hates helping Steve with all the wedding planning, it is just that sometimes he needs a break. It can get overwhelming still at times, being in charge of things, giving orders and not being expected to just follow them, and he was starting to feel that way this afternoon. Thankfully, Sam and Steve had noticed and had sent him off.

“Go where you need to, take  a few days if needed.”

Steve had said this and Sam had echoed it, said something about the birds could find him if they need him. It still a little strange that Sam can talk to birds but Bucky has seen weirder things in his life and it has come in handy before.  He ended up leaving shortly after that, rode for a  little while before ending up near one of the local taverns. It was starting to turn dark and he would need somewhere to stay for the night and this tavern was one more frequented by outsiders than locals, he could hide here for a bit if needed. He has his hand and arm covered so people would not know who he is right away and so he is safe from stares for now. He goes in, secures a room and some dinner and it as he is finishing up eating that something catches his attention, cheers from across the room. He gets up and goes to see what is happening and what is happening may provide a good distraction for a bit.

 There is a man  on the other side of the room showing off some knife and dart tricks.  It is actually impressive, the way he twirls the knives, manages to hit some of the paper people have put up on the wall and  Bucky just watches for a bit. The man is good and is nice to look at as well.  Dark blonde hair, bluish green eyes, and a cocky grin as he goes through a few more tricks and Bucky is interested, very interested.  He does the only thing he can think of, decides to challenge him.

“Hey, think you can match some one shot for shot?”

He asks and the man turns and looks at him now, cocky grin still in place and he looks over Bucky.

“Yes. Why don’t you show me your best?”

There is a hint of challenge to his tone,  challenge and amusement and Bucky finds himself meeting it, returning the grin.  Showing off  is something he used to do a lot before he was taken, before he lost his arm and was turned into a weapon for a few years,  and he is in the mood to do it tonight. Bucky  wants to show off to this stranger so he does.  He starts with a tricky shot but not the trickiest he can do and the stranger matches it with ease, does one after and arches a brow at Bucky like a challenge. They meet each other shots for quite a while after that, twirling the knives and darts in different way, Bucky mostly sticking with his right  hand though the blonde uses both. There is conversation exchanged through out, boasts and teasing and a few questions, and  eventually Bucky doesn’t meet one of his shots and the blonde grins at him.

“I should have put a wager on this.”

Bucky meets his grin and replies.

“Maybe next time. For now I can get you a drink if you want.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Bucky does get  him a drink  but the stranger picks up the next ones. They talk some more, teasing and flirting and Bucky feels want right now. It may not be the best idea to think about possibly offering to take this guy to bed but it is Bucky’s own idea and there is still a thrill and relief to getting to choose his own ideas, no matter how bad they may be.  He is about to offer his room when the other man speaks, voice still a little cocky but eyes looking just a bit shy.

“I have a room here, if you want to go to it, pass the time with something other than darts.”

He wiggles his eyebrows a bit at the last words and Bucky can’t help but grin at it, finds himself charmed by the silly gesture and the slight pink of the other man’s cheeks.

“That sounds like the best plan right now.”

The other man grins at Bucky’s answer, gets up and offers Bucky a hand as he does so.

“Name’s Clint by the way, figure we should  introduce our selves, might make the next hours better.”

Bucky shakes his hand, hesitates for just a moment before giving his own name. Usually with people he isn’t that familiar with, he goes by James but he doesn’t want to do that with this one so he gives him the name he prefers.

“My friends call me Bucky.”

“Is that what we are, friends?”

Clint asks with a bit of a grin and Bucky returns it.

“I think we are on our way to that, definitely on friendly terms, about to be  much more friendly once we head up stairs.”

Clint grin grows wider now and he hasn’t let go of Bucky’s  hand yet and Bucky doesn’t mind, just follows the little tug that Clint gives him as he starts to move to the stairs.

“Let’s go up stairs then. I like making friends.”

With those words, they go to the stairs and Bucky knows that the night should be a good one.

^_^_^_^_^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the link for the first piece of art.   
> http://roxashighwind.tumblr.com/post/175696243388/i-have-the-pleasure-of-creating-a-few-pieces-for-a


	2. Chapter 2

^_^_^_^_^

They are half way up the stairs when Clint decides that he has waited long enough and crushes his mouth against Bucky’s. He does it suddenly, catches the other man off guard and Bucky almost trips but steadies himself and wraps arms around Clint, gloved hands settling around Clint’s waist. The gloves have been on all night and Clint is curious to see what his hands look like, curious to see what all of his skin looks like.  He shoots well, gave Clint a challenge,  rose to Clint’s teasing , is pretty as well, and Clint is looking forward to this, just wishes Nat was here as well. She would like this one, Clint is sure of it. He pulls back now, gives a little smirk.

“Have to get to the room for the rest, I bruise horribly when I do it on stairs.”

 Bucky lets out a little laugh now and Clint likes how it lights up his face.

“Sounds like you have some experience with that then. Well, don’t want the stairs to bruise you so show me your room.”

They head up the rest of the stairs now, Clint leading the way. He opens the door, leads Bucky in to the small room that he and Nat have rented.  Some of Nat’s things are still here, a dress on one of the chairs, a  necklace on the table and Bucky notices, gestures to the dress.

“Is that yours? Doesn’t seem like your color.”

The remark is teasing but  the tone isn’t reflected in Bucky’s eyes right now and a tension has slipped over him. Clint has dealt with this sort of thing before so he just tells the truth now.

“You’re right, not my color it is Natasha’s color. We’re partners of a sort, share everything together. She isn’t here, had to leave for a bit, but she and I have a bit of an understanding so you’re not stepping on any one’s toes. Besides, if she was here, she would probably have gotten you up here before I could.”

He has had to say things like this before, won’t lie about being involved with Natasha unless it is absolutely needed and it isn’t right now.  Some take it well and some leave and Clint worries for just a moment that Bucky is going to fall into the second category. He is quiet for a moment, staring at the dress again before turning and looking at Clint now.

“You really think that? She must be something because I would have come up here earlier if you had just asked. “

There is a smirk now and Clint isn’t so worried that he is going to leave now.

“Good to know, I’ll keep it in mind for next time. “

Clint says this and then goes for another kiss. It is like the one on the stairs again, urgent and needy and so good but they don’t break apart quite as quickly this time.  Clint finds his hands settling on strong shoulders, feeling muscle underneath, though the  left doesn’t quite feel right, feels harder than it should, like metal under his fingers than flesh.  Before he can put a bit more  thought into it, Bucky is pulling back just enough to get a hold of Clint’s shirt, starts  to tug on it.

“I want to see you.”

Bucky says this simply and Clint just gives a little nod, helps Bucky to relive him of his clothes.  It doesn’t take long and Clint is fully bare and being pushed on to the bed. He lets himself fall, laughing a little bit before settling on the bedding, staring up at Bucky.  Clint doesn’t put himself under the covers, just stretches out on the bed so that Bucky can see most of him and form the look in his eyes, Clint is pretty sure  that he likes what he sees . He lets Bucky take a nice long look before he speaks.

“You know, this will be easier if we are both free of cloths. Want to make that happen?”

Clint asks this now and Bucky smirks at him in a way that sends a bit of excitement through Clint.

“I suppose I can. “

He gives a little shrug with those words and starts taking off his shoes. He  is moving slowly, pulling his pants down next almost in a teasing pace and Clint doesn’t feel like waiting too much longer so he decides to help, moves off the bed to  grab at his shirt,  fingers curling around the hem of it as  he speaks.

“Take the gloves off last.”

He likes the gloves though he has wondered why Bucky has worn them. Bucky just gives  a little nod and Clint yanks the  shirt over Bucky’s head. He is soon bare in front of Clint and Clint stares but it isn’t quite for the reason he thought it would be.  It is a pretty sight for sure but there is something unexpected, mainly the scarring on his shoulder that leads to metal, his whole left arm being metal and Clint just stares as Bucky takes off his gloves now.

“You have a metal arm.”

He blurts the words out, didn’t mean for them to spill out like that but  they do and Bucky just  looks at it for a moment like he just now noticed it.

“Huh, I guess I do.”

The words are said lightly, almost too lightly like he is still not quite comfortable with it yet still but pretends otherwise . It is not a usual thing, an arm covered in metal like that and Clint has  really only heard of it once and he can’t quite believe that this is happening.

“You’re James Barnes, aren’t you? Unless there are two men with metal arms running around.”

He says this now and Bucky gives a little smile.

“Think I’m the only one, haven’t ran into anyone else. Guess we didn’t exchange last names. Can I have yours?”

Bucky asks this now and Clint says Barton quickly, is trying to figure out what to do. They were possibly planning on seduction but now Clint has done it on accident, not realizing who he was bringing to his bed. He can’t back out now, it would make things awkward and maybe make things harder for them in the long run and Clint still wants him.

“You’re not changing your mind now, are you?”

Bucky says this softly and Clint shakes his head just a bit,  gives him and leans to him, speaks against his lips before claiming them in a kiss.

“Not changing my mind. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Clint is pretty sure Natasha is going to yell at him a bit when she gets back but when Bucky’s metal hand grips Clint’s hip and brings him closer, he thinks it might be worth it.

 

^_^_^_^_^

Her trip didn’t take too long and Natasha did learn some information that she did not have before. She still needs to actually meet James Barnes to learn more, to decide what plan will be best and she is hoping that it will happen soon. Right now, she is making her way to the room that she and Clint have here, ready to see him again. It is early still and she has no doubt that he is still in bed and it will be nice to crawl under the covers with him again. She wasn’t exactly lonely while she was gone but she likes the familiarity of Clint, of laying close to him, wants that again now. She makes her way up the stairs, opens the door, starts to make her way to the bed and sees clothes scattered around the room. That isn’t too unusual but  not all of them are theirs. There is a leather glove near the door that she knows isn’t hers or Clint’s  and she picks it up as she moves closer to the bed, can see now that Clint isn’t alone.

There is no real jealousy that Clint has taken some one else to bed, just a sense of curiosity.  She wonders who it is, what made Clint bring them up here, why they are still here.  She sees dark hair as she gets closer, purposely shifts her weight so that it makes a bit of noise. The other figure in the bed shifts a bit more now, looks to be waking up but Clint stays laying, murmurs and pulls the sheets over his head, probably knows it is her.  His bed partner is still mostly covered with the sheets, only his face and parts of his right side visible and he looks at Natasha now who just holds up the glove as she speaks.

“I assume this is yours.”

He gives a little nod now and he looks at her for just a moment before speaking.

“I assume you’re Natasha then, the partner he spoke of last night.”

She gives her own little nod now and he continues speaking .

“ He’s right, that color is more yours than his.”

As he says this, he gestures over to her dark red dress on the chair, shifts so he can do it with his left hand and it catches her eye. Hard for her not to notice it, the metal glints  in the sunlight coming through the window and she had been wanting to meet Barnes soon but she didn’t think it would be this way. She tries not to show too much surprise, just raises a bit of an eyebrow.

“I think names might be in order. You already know mine and I have a feeling I may already have an idea of yours . Do I have the pleasure of meeting James Barnes?”

There is a nod now and then Clint’s sleepy voice pipes up.

“He likes to be called Bucky by friends.”

Clint is shifting now, waking up and meeting Natasha’s eyes and she can tell that he knows that they are going to have to have a talk about all of this soon but right now she just gives a little smile.

“You always did make friends quickly. Perhaps I should let you getup and we can see about getting some breakfast.”

She says this now, gestures to the clothes and Clint just sort of shrugs and gets out of bed,no shame in not wearing anything.  He gets his clothes on quickly before turning to Bucky.

“If you want to stay up here, we’ll bring some food up, can all chat unless you have somewhere you need to be.”

Barnes just shakes his head now.

“Nowhere I need to be right now, that sounds good. See you in a bit.”

Natasha just gives a little nod and heads to the door now, this gives her and Clint a chance to talk without Barnes nearby. If they were on the ship, she would not want to leave him in their chambers alone but there is nothing in their room now that he could take or see and know something about them that they don’t want him to know yet so it is safe enough to leave him there. They head down the stairs quietly and Natasha doesn’t say anything till after they have spoken to the owner about getting some food and when she does, she is purposefully just a little vague with her words. Clint will know what she means but those who may overhear will not.

“I was not expecting you to have company this morning.  How did that happen?“

She doesn’t mention Barnes by name, doesn’t mention that they are here to steal his castle from him possibly and that Clint has now slept with him but Clint knows what she is asking about.

“We got into a throwing contest, had fun, wanted to have a different fun. Didn’t seem polite to back out at the last minute.”

She can hear what he means, knows that he flirted without knowing who Barnes was and didn’t realize it till they were already upstairs, already undressed and it would have been suspicious to stop. It may complicate things just a bit. Clint continues after just a moment.

“I think you’ll like him well enough, he didn’t back away after I told him I have a partner, think things can be good.”

Clint says this with a little hint of a smile and it is his signal to Natasha  that he thinks they can still make this work.  Maybe they can, they will just have to proceeded a little differently, can’t go with too fake  of names since Barnes knows at least both of their first names since he knew Natasha’s earlier.  Maybe some  honesty will work with this, they can improvise, and it isn’t like Clint hasn’t went off script before. They can make it work.

“We’ll see. Hopefully he hasn’t snuck out of the window or something. I assume you had fun but you still should tell me about it.”

Clint does tell her about it, just bits and pieces, how they challenged and teased each other, and she can already tell that he likes this one. Hopefully, she’ll like him too and their plans won’t interfere with anything too much. She wouldn’t mind settling down with someone and he may be a good ally to have if everything she has heard about him is true.  Maybe Clint is right and things will turn out good.  Soon enough, the owner is bringing them  the food they asked for and they are heading back upstairs to have a meal with Clint’s new friend.

^_^_^_^_^

Bucky has had mornings after before but not quite like this.  He slept with Clint knowing the man is attached to someone else and woke up to her standing there staring at them both and now he is waiting for them to come upstairs so they can all have breakfast together.  It is a little odd but it is proving to be a good distraction right now, gets his mind off of all the other things going on, and Sam and Steve said to take a bit of time if he needed it.  He is going to take the time, spend it with two people that he barely knows but feels drawn to. It may be because they are both beautiful, Clint with his easy smile and Natasha with her bright red hair, but it may also be the fact that he can sense just a little bit that they can both be dangerous if they want to. He saw it in Clint last night with the way he threw the knife and he could see it in Natasha this morning with the way she stood, how in control she was, and it makes him wonder just who they are, what they are doing here. Maybe he’ll find out soon, he can hear them coming to the door now and he stands dressed and waiting for them as they open it.

“You didn’t climb out the window, that’s good. Nat thought you might have ran away.”

Clint says this as he comes in, carrying a tray and Natasha has one as well, both of them placing it on the small table there. Natasha just rolls her eyes a bit now as she speaks and Bucky has a feeling she may do that with Clint sometimes, the gesture just seems like a familiar one.

“Not everyone is keen on the morning after, especially when they realize they are going to have to deal with two of  us. Glad you stayed, Clint told me good things, especially about the way you move your mouth.”

She ends those words with a little bit of smirk and Clint is turning red now and Bucky can feel his checks starting to heat up as well. Clint starts murmuring a bit now.

“I didn’t say that much, a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell after all.”

Clint says this now,has started cutting some of the bread on the table and Natasha’s smirk grows just a little bit more, eyes teasing and Bucky finds himself calming down a little bit.

“I’m sure after last night Bucky knows that you’re no gentleman, besides it isn’t like I said you said anything unflattering. I’m sure he takes it as a compliment , don’t you?”

Her eyes are lit up when she turns to him now, mouth curved in more of a smile than a smirk and she tilts her head just a bit, like she is inviting Bucky into her teasing. He accepts the invitation.

“I do take it as a compliment, unless you’re trying to say you don’t like my mouth now.”

He says those last words to Clint, puts just a little bit of a pout and Clint is shaking his head a bit now.

“You just met, you two shouldn’t be ganging up on me. “

He says this and Natasha just smiles a little bit more before brushing a quick kiss against Clint’s lips. The sight is nice and Bucky admires it for a moment.

“Ok, hawk, we won’t gang up on you till you want us to. Let’s sit and have breakfast.”

She says this and sits down now and Clint does as well. Bucky sits after a moment and they start to dig into the food. There is silence for a few minutes, nothing too uncomfortable and Bucky is trying to figure out how to break it when Natasha does instead.

“So I’m surprised you have time to be out here, isn’t there a lot of excitement going on at your castle right now?”

She asks and it sounds a little bit like digging but almost everyone knows about the wedding happening soon. It is still a bit away but people know about it and Bucky just shrugs a bit.

“There is but I’m not the one getting married so I don’t have to be involved in too many of the preparations, could step away for a bit. My day is free today as well, if you two don’t mind a bit more of my presence, I could show you around the area a bit. ”

It is maybe a little bit bold to offer this right now, he barely knows them, but Bucky wants to get to know them. There is just something about them, both of them that is drawing his attention or maybe he is just a little bit lonely and wants a distraction, either way he wants to spend the day with them.  Natasha smiles and gives a nod now.

“That sounds like a plan. Do you agree with that, Clint?”

 

“I didn’t have any plans but staying bed and that has already changed so let’s do it.”

Bucky gives a little smile at both of their answers and they go back to eating.  The meal is finished quickly enough and then they  are headed down stairs, then out the door of the inn to the small village there. It is a beautiful day out, sun shining and birds singing in the air and so Bucky knows that his little adventure with these two isn’t going to go unnoticed but  he is still looking forward to it.

“Lead the way , we aren’t familiar with this area much. Really first time being here.”

Clint says this and Bucky just gives a nod, starts a path down the street so they can see some of the village.

“I would have noticed you, both of you, if you had been here often. Where do you usually stay?”

He asks now, wants to know where they live, how long they are going to be here.   Natasha answers the question.

“We usually are on the sea, haven’t really had a permanent  place on land for a while, might be looking at changing that.”

It seems like a simple statement but Bucky sees something that looks like surprise cross Clint’s face at her words but the expression is so quick that Bucky images that it might have been his imagination .  Bucky just talks now.

“Might be a good idea to settle on land for a while, the sea can be dangerous. “

He says this and Natasha gives him a little smile as they keep walking.

“It can be dangerous but it is also beautiful and peaceful at times. Have you ever spent time on the sea?”

She asks and Bucky gives a little shrug.

“Some, but not always by choice.   Been out there enough to know all the troubles it has, storms and waves and pirates.  Have you had any run-ins with pirates?”

Natasha gives another smile as Clint lets out a laugh beside him.

“Quite a few actually, managed to come out with only a few bruises sometimes. You have any run-ins with pirates?”

Clint asks now and Bucky sort of shrugs again.

“Not really but that might change. There was a ship spotted in a port near here a couple weeks ago but considering which one it was said to be, I’m not too worried about trouble.”

“Oh, and which one was that?”

Natasha asks, curiosity in her voice but there is something in her eyes that makes Bucky thinks she already knows the answer and Clint is looking over at her. There is something in the look he is giving her, the way he raises his eyebrow just slightly and the way Natasha tilts her head like she is  giving a hint of a nod that makes Bucky thinks they are having some sort of silent conversation but he doesn’t say anything about it, just gives the answer.

“The Black Widow.  Formidable ship but tends to not touch any one innocent.  It didn’t stay at the port, let a couple people off from reports and then sailed away again. You heard of it?”

He asks and there is a little snort that comes from Clint and Natasha gives a nod.

“We have heard of it, are very familiar with it, actually.”

There is something about the way she says that that makes Bucky a little curious, maybe a little suspicious and so he looks at her now, asks a question.

“How are you familiar with it?”

He asks and it is Clint who answers now.

“We know the captain. I’ve known her a long time but Natasha has known her longer than me.”

There is a little smirk when Clint says this and he looks over at Natasha now.

“How long have you known her then?”

“All my life.”

She says it with a little smile, like it is a simple answer and Bucky is thinking about what he knows about the Caption of the Widow, about what he has heard about her and he is realizing that he does not know Natasha’s last name. He is getting a bit of a suspicion now and he decides to test it now.

“That is a long time to know someone.  I haven’t even know you a day yet, don’t even know your last name. Can I have it?”  
He asks and she just smiles as Clint looks at them both.

“Last name is Romanov. I think more people know me by that then my first.”

She says this and Bucky stops in his steps now, looks at both of them and he  is remembering a lot of what he has heard about the Widow, about her captain, her captain with bright red hair who is often seen with a man with dark blond hair, a woman that goes by Romanov and he just turns his full attention to Natasha now.

“You’re Captain Romanov, aren’t you? The widow is yours.”

He says this and she gives another smile and a nod.

“Yes, but I already told you that you can call me Natasha.  Do we need to stop  our plans now?”

She is offering an out, asking if knowing who she is will cause trouble. Bucky thinks about it for a moment, thinks about the night he had with Clint, thinks about what he knows  about her and her ship and he makes his choice.

“No.  As long as you don’t cause problems, you’re both free to stay in this area as long as you like.   Shall we continue our walk?”

He asks and gets a nod from both of them and things settle into an easy pace then, both of them walking closer to Bucky than they probably need to but he doesn’t mind too much, is looking forward to seeing where the day is going to take them.

^_^_^_^_^


	3. Chapter 3

^_^_^_^_^

The day has gone well, Bucky being a good guide and Natasha taking everything in stride and they haven’t really had to lie to Bucky which Clint appreciates a lot.  He likes Bucky though he doesn’t know him too well yet and he was not looking forward to having to lie to him about who they are but he would have followed Nat if she would have lied but she didn’t.  The day has been fairly easy, the three of them talking and spending time together and they are back at the inn where they started this morning, seated at one of the tables sharing a meal when Natasha asks a question of Bucky.

“Are you staying here again tonight? Or do you need to head back?”

“Planning on staying here tonight, rented a room for two nights though I didn’t actually use it last night.”

Bucky says this and Clint can’t help but grin at the reminder of what they did last night and he decides to give it another shot now, figures Natasha won’t mind and it helps with their plans to figure him out and see about his castle.

“You don’t have to stay in your room tonight either, does he, Tasha?”

He looks over at Natasha now, just a hint of a smirk on his face and she returns it before turning her gaze back to Bucky.

“You can stay in ours again, if you would like, if you don’t mind the extra company.”

Bucky looks at both of them now with Natasha’s words and he gives his own smile after another moment.

“I don’t mind the company at all. Has been a good day, hoping it will be a good night as well.”

He gives a smirk now, just a bit of one and Clint knows that tonight will be just as great as the night before.  They end up finishing their food after that and then Bucky is asking Clint for a re-match with the throwing and Clint can’t help but accept. Natasha watches them, cheering and jeering  both of them whenever she feels like it and Bucky uses his left hand tonight as well as his right and it is a little closer than it was the night before but Clint still wins.   Bucky just sort of shakes his head in disbelief but he is still smiling and that smile brightens a bit more when Natasha grabs his hand, stats to drag him to the stairs,  giving Clint a nod to follow.  Clint gets up and trails just a little bit behind them and it doesn’t take long till they are back upstairs, door shut and it is just the three of them. Natasha does not wait long before she is claiming Bucky’s mouth and Clint just watches for a moment before moving closer and  grinning at them when they pull apart.

“Neither of you are very shy, are you?”

Bucky asks this and Natasha just smiles while Clint answers the question.

“No reason to be, not when there is something we want. We can play shy if you want though.”

Bucky shakes his head a bit now

“No, I’m fine with you being not shy. Do you do this often, inviting someone else up?”

He asks , curiosity in his voice and Clint looks at Natasha for a moment and she gives jut a small tilt of her head, letting Clint know that he can handle this one and tell as much truth as he would like.  He doesn’t see any sense in hiding anything so he doesn’t, just answers the questions.

“Sometimes, we like having others, when they interest us. Usually it has been a one off but there have been a few repeats. You?”

“I have a few times, with a close friend and the people he cares about. Been a little while though since I have had more than one person in my bed at a time.”

He says this honestly and Clint thinks he can hear just a little bit of nerves in his voice and he reaches forward now and brushes a quick kiss against Bucky’s mouth and as he pulls away, Natasha does the same and gives him a little smirk.

“I’m sure you can still remember how to make it work. I think we’ll have some fun but we should probably lose some of the clothes.”

 With those words, Natasha starts to undo her dress and Clint follows suit, Bucky not hesitating either.  It isn’t long until clothes are off and skin is  being explored. It is a bit of mess in some ways, a tangle of bodies and trying to figure out who should go where but it is a good type of mess.  Natasha soon takes control, tells both him and Bucky where they need to be and what they should be doing and Clint doesn’t mind at all and if the little grin Bucky gives is any indication he doesn’t mind either.  They spend the night exploring each other and after a while they are spend and resting. Clint is pleasantly sore in the right places and find himself in-between the two of them, he falls asleep that way and no night mares come.

^_^_^_^_^

Natasha wakes before either of the others, stares at them as the sun starts to fill the room up with light. It is sometimes hard for her to sleep when she doesn’t feel waves under her but it hadn’t been too difficult to sleep with the warmth in the bed last night and she reflects on it as she looks them both over some more.  The sight of Clint asleep is a familiar one and a comfort in a lot of ways,  the way his hair is a mess and the little bit of drool under his chin and Natasha quickly  turns her attention to her other bed companion.  Barnes’s hair is a mess as well but in a different way than Clint’s and he does not drool as much. She is still making up her mind about him a bit, had thought of him as a ways to land but now she isn’t so sure. She still wouldn’t mind a place on land of her own but she thinks that he could end up being more than that if they continue this path.  Natasha will worry about it for later, for now, she makes herself shift to get out of bed and this causes Bucky to stir now, to open eyes and look up at her.  She gives him a little smile.

“Good morning. At least we don’t have to introduce ourselves this time. “

She  says this and gets a little smile from him.

“No we don’t.  Are you getting up?”

He asks and she gives a little nod.

“I am, going to go clean up a bit but I’ll be back. Keep Clint company. He gets whiny when he wakes up alone.”

Bucky gives her a little nod and then she heads to wash up. It doesn’t take her long and when she gets back to the room, she can hear voices talking softly and sees that Clint has woken up as well.  She walks in and gives them both a smile as she site in the chair near by.

“Talking about anything interesting?”

She asks as she sits and Clint just gives a little shrug as he shifts to get out of bed but Bucky is the one to answer.

“Nothing too interesting, just telling him that I need to go back today, check up on things but if you’re sticking around for a bit, I would like to see you both again. Would that be possible?”

Natasha tilts her head like she is considering it for just a moment and then gives an honest answer.

“I think that might be a possibility. Do you think so as well, Clint?”

She asks and Clint just turns to Bucky now and gives a brief answer before placing a kiss against his lips.

“I think so. We’ll be around for a bit if you want to find us again.”

Bucky smiles at the answer or maybe he is smiling at the kiss but Natasha doesn’t think about it too much, just watches them for a moment before reminding them that Bucky should probably get cleaned up before he heads out. They pull apart then and the next little while is spent with Bucky and Clint, both of them getting dressed and cleaned up before sharing a small breakfast and then Bucky leaves. As soon as they are back in their room, all alone with the door shut, Clint turns to her and speaks.

“You gave him your real name, didn’t make up a cover.”

She hears the question in it but she ignores it right now, just answers with her own statement.

“You gave him your real name too.”

He rolls his eyes at her, they both know it isn’t quite the same thing. Natasha hardly ever introduces herself with her real name, even those who know it often are told something else first. She had thought about giving him bits of truth and she did it faster than she planned at first.

“I almost always give my own name, it is tied to the ship like yours is. You let him know your name, who you are. Why?”

Clint says this, won’t drop it and she can hear the curiosity in his voice. She could lie, it is easy for her after all, but it is Clint and she isn’t going to lie now, tries not to make it a habit with him. She gives him the truth now as it becomes clear to her as well.

“Thought it might work better to not lie and you like him  a lot already. You don’t like to lie too much to people you like so I wasn’t going to force you.”

It is a simple truth and maybe she is getting a little soft but it is worth it for the grin that Clint gives her, bright and easy in a way that not even she can fake.

“I do like him and I love you. Thank you.”

He says this and Natasha just gives him a nod and then a kiss against his lips. It felt like the right decision  and she will see if letting Bucky know a bit about her is the right all but right now it feels like it is and Natasha has learned to go with her feelings, trusts where they go.

^_^_^_^_^

It doesn’t take long to get back to the castle, to his land and Bucky sort of already misses the other two. He hasn’t know Natasha and Clint that long, not even really a couple of days but he enjoyed his time with them even if maybe he should have been more weary . They didn’t try to hide who they are and Bucky’s own past is not clean so he shared their bed with no problems and is looking forward to seeing them again but first he needs to check in with Steve first.  It is as he is putting his horse away that Steve shows up, Sam along with him and Bucky greets them both as they approach.

“I’m back so you can stop fretting about me getting in trouble.”

He says this and Steve just rolls his eyes a little bit.

“I don’t fret about you getting in trouble because I know it is going to happen no matter what.”

Steve says this and Bucky just shakes his head at him.

“Like you can talk.”

“Steve wasn’t the one walking the village with  two strangers now was he?”

Sam says this and Bucky had wondered if they would already know about that and he sighs just a bit.

“You and your damn birds like to gossip.”

Sam just gives a grin but doesn’t refute Bucky’s claim. The world is a strange place and between Bucky’s metal arm and everything that happened to him and Steve’s transformation from sickly to what he is now, Sam being able to talk to birds isn’t that odd but it is mildly inconvenient sometimes.  Like right now when he was hoping to not have to talk to them about this right away.

“They didn’t tell him much, just that you were walking with two people, close together and all. I’m assuming that you had a nice time then?”

Steve asks and Bucky just gives him a little grin now, isn’t going to say too much right now.

“I had a nice time, punk but I think right now we should focus on your love life considering the big event  happens in about a month. Anything I need to know about while I was gone?”

He is hanging the subject but  Steve and Sam let him, fill in on what happened the last couple of days as they move out of the stables.  Not too much happened but Bucky knows that there is going to be a lot of hustle in the next month, a lot of things to get done. Steve getting married is a big deal and it is a complicated thing, especially considering there are four people involved.  It is not the most common marriage arrangement here but it does happen, having  more than two people and that is how the ceremony here will be but the ceremony in Peggy’s home land will not be that way from what Bucky understands. There it will be two ceremonies, one between Peggy and Steve, and the other between Sam and Peggy’s lady in waiting Angie. It will be a bit more acceptable there to do it that way but here they can all be joined together and Bucky is glad that it is going to work out for the four of them but he can’t help the little pang of jealousy that he has felt the last few weeks .

The jealousy isn’t really because he used to share Steve’s bed often. What Steve and he have isn’t really a romantic sort of love, it is a bond that is deep but not quite the same as what Steve feels for Sam and for Peggy and what Bucky is sure he will feel for Angie in time and he isn’t really jealous of the other three for getting to be with Steve now. Hell, he has shared Steve with both Peggy and Sam at different times, enjoyed being with them as he did with being with Steve but it never quite felt like it some grand romance or anything.  The jealousy is there because Steve has found his great love and Bucky hasn’t yet, sometimes feels too broken to. 

Buck isn’t dwelling on the jealousy too much today though, just focuses on his tasks with Sam and Steve and tries not to think too much about the night he spent with Natasha and Clint. He does a good job for the most part but his attention does drift to them every once in a while, to the way Clint had thrown the knife so cleverly, how Natasha moved with such grace, the little smiles they both gave each, the way they had touched him. He tries not to get distracted but he does and it does not go unnoticed.  

“You know, I think you had a much nicer time than you let on earlier if the way you keep drifting somewhere else is to go by.”

Sam says this and Bucky glares at him but Steve is looking at him as well now and it is Steve who speaks before Bucky can.

“Its ok if they got your attention , Bucky, you can want things you know.”

Steve says this, voice softening just a bit and it is a constant reminder he gives him all the time and Bucky turns his glare to Steve now but softens it just a bit.

“Yes they have my attention and I’m planning  on seeing them again soon.  Let’s finish some more of these things up and maybe I’ll tell you a little bit about them.”

Bucky means it, will tell them a bit about them tonight but wants to get their tasks done first. He gets a nod from the other two and he goes back to looking over their stock of supplies with them while trying not to let his attention drift. There will be time to think about them later, time to see them, Bucky just has to wait for a little bit.

^_^_^_^_^


End file.
